Vuelta Stage 18: Suances → Santo Toribio de Liébana - 169 km

[Red Rick]

After today's massacre, the riders will be headed for a tricky medium mountain stage tomorrow, finishing on a short Murito. After Froome's weakness today, a few might be looking for opportunities. One of them will not be suprising. Legends often come back to the places of their greatest deeds. Collada de Hoz shall see spectacle tomorrow

Expecting a big fight for the breakaway tomorrow, and then hopefully annihalation in the last 60km of the stage

 

[deValtos]

What's the gradient in the final 2km? Do we know?

I'm wondering if it's a pure sprint or will GC riders be taking bonus seconds etc

 

[Pricey_sky]

Re:

What's the gradient in the final 2km? Do we know?

I'm wondering if it's a pure sprint or will GC riders be taking bonus seconds etc

If the profile is correct it's 200m over 2k so 10% average.

 

[PremierAndrew]

Re:

What's the gradient in the final 2km? Do we know?

I'm wondering if it's a pure sprint or will GC riders be taking bonus seconds etc

Looks like it's about 9-10% from the profile

 

[Forever The Best]

Carmona (from right to left) :

Ozalba:

Hoz:

Sto. Toribio de Liebana:

 

[Alexandre B.]

Smells breakaway.

 

[DFA123]

Re:

What's the gradient in the final 2km? Do we know?

I'm wondering if it's a pure sprint or will GC riders be taking bonus seconds etc

It's just over 9% average, with the last km averaging over 11% I think. Some ramps up to 16%. So definite possibilities for the GC guys if they control the break.

 

[Eclipse]

If it was another GT I'd be thinking break and maybe a punt of some GC action but the way this race has been ridden I'm on my toes in anticipation. Every stage feels like something is going to happen at this point, it's quite a lovely feeling.

 

[Red Rick]

The first 80kms are perfect terrain for a good, leg-shattering breakaway fight.

 

[Blanco]

Re:

What's the gradient in the final 2km? Do we know?

I'm wondering if it's a pure sprint or will GC riders be taking bonus seconds etc

You wont see sprint tomorrow, that's sure. You may see carnage, though. Alberto Contador Velasco is returning to Collada de la Hoz...

 

[sir fly]

An ambush!

 

[jsem94]

Ambush please. Probably nothing til the final climb but anything is possible.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

They have to try something now. It's clear Froome is tiring. This is the moment to put balls to the wall pressure on every day

 

[spalco]

Re:

An ambush!

Well, can't really call it an ambush if everyone knows something will happen, 100% the other teams will try to hurt Sky here.

 

[Breh]

That uphill to the finish is hardly a murito. Good!

 

[ThePirate81]

Lopez vs Contador again.
Woods for the win. Amazing Vuelta so far for Rusty!

 

[Libertine Seguros]

The Circuito Montañés used to have a very similar stage annually, from Torrelavega, looping around with a couple of early climbs before the same final 75km as tomorrow's stage:

In 2009, Sergio Pardilla beat Tejay van Garderen on the final climb from a break, with their third breakmate, Jonathan Castroviejo, finishing just behind the American.

It is obviously a puncheur's climb, but it's also one you can grind out - in 2010 cyclocross specialist Niels Albert won at the monastery before the race, at the time Spain's biggest amateur race, went the same way as the Girobio, Giro delle Regioni and several other important development events.

 

[Laplaz]

Hopefully carnage!

 

[bob.a.feet]

Carapaz will win this stage. Surely Contador will attack, let's hope that Nibali and others follow. If Vincenzo wants to win he needs to make the next few days very hard for Froome - no recovery.

 

[telencefalus]

Well if teams interested in beating Froome , and i say also trek are going to govery fast from the very start , Froome will be weak for the end of for the last 2 stages

 

[telencefalus]

as i said to beat froome they have to go very fast in all the remaining stages , not only a team could beat team sky so Others teams have to cooperate for different aims but with the same effect GO AS FAST AS THEY CAN

 

[sir fly]

Re: Re:

An ambush!

Well, can't really call it an ambush if everyone knows something will happen, 100% the other teams will try to hurt Sky here.

On contrary.
Unknown place is what makes an ambush. Otherwise it's a front line.

 

[Gigs_98]

Re: Vuelta Stage 18: Suances → Santo Toribio de Liébana - 16

The descent of the Collado de Hoz is quite tricky. If Nibali has riders in front who can ride on the flat I'd expect an attack by him. And ofc Contador will attack on the penultimate climb anyway

 

[Sestriere]

Tomorrow's stage finish is located about 20 km from Fuente Dé.

 

[telencefalus]

what it's sure is that Contador will attack in every stages left for Nibali be prepared to follow him